The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Aerial refueling tanker aircraft may be equipped with a “pilot's director light” system. The function of this system is to enable the air refueling boom operator (i.e., typically known as the “Boomer”) to provide visual commands to the receiver aircraft pilot during a pre-contact phase of alignment between the refueling tanker aircraft and the fuel receiving aircraft (the “receiver” aircraft). The pilot's director light system displays commands to the pilot of the receiver aircraft (e.g., “fast”, “slow”, “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”) that helps the pilot of the receiver aircraft to guide his/her aircraft into a predetermined spatial refueling envelope behind the refueling aircraft where contact with a refueling boom can be made. These commands from the pilot's director light system may also complemented by voice communications from the boom operator (except where a radio silence condition is required).
The boom operator uses judgmental distance and the closure rate between the receiver fuel receptacle on the receiver aircraft and the boom tip for providing the commands to the pilot's director light system. The closure rate is the rate that the receiver aircraft moves toward and into the predetermined refueling envelope. When the receiver aircraft is within the refueling envelope, the pilot of the receiver aircraft steadies his/her aircraft so that the boom hook-up begins and fuel is delivered. If the boom operator determines the receiver aircraft is not moving into the refueling envelope properly during this pre-contact phase of alignment, he/she may give a “break-away” command to abort the operation. In this instance, the pilot of the receiver aircraft will then need to break-away from the refueling aircraft and then repeat the approach in an effort to enter the spatial refueling envelope at a suitable approach angle and suitable closure rate.
As will be appreciated, the experience and judgment of the boom operator plays a significant role in providing the commands to the pilot's director light system that enables the pre-contact phase of receiver aircraft positioning, and thus the overall refueling operation, to be successfully carried out. Misjudgment or human error (position, closure rate, command errors, etc.), may necessitate repeated attempts before the receiver aircraft is properly guided into the spatial refueling envelope where contact with the boom tip can be made. The time needed to perform repeated refueling attempts can potentially adversely impact a mission.